Krajem 19. i početkom 20. stoljeća mjesta s nalazištima ugljena postala su važna gospodarska središta, što se odnosi i na Trbovlje. Nalazište ugljena uvelike je pridonijelo činjenici da je željeznička pruga Beč-Trst prolazila kroz Trbovlje. Željeznica je dobila stabilan izvor goriva za pogon parnih lokomotiva, a rudniku je omogućila laki prijevoz ugljena. Uz vodu, ugljen je bio primarni izvor proizvodnje električne energije.
Prve, vrlo male, elektrane bile su smještene u neposrednoj blizini rudnika ugljena i pokretale su rudničke dizalice, ventilatore i pumpe. Nova elektrana otvorena je u ožujku 1915. Elektrana je proširena u nekoliko faza. Čak i prije Drugog svjetskog rata, bilo je pritužbi iz nižih gradova uz Savu, prvenstveno Zagreba, na onečišćenje rijeke. Proizvodnja je dosegla vrhunac nakon Drugog svjetskog rata.
Visoka razina sumpora koja je procurila u okolinu imala je teške posljedice za vegetaciju u dolini Save, a i na udaljenijim mjestima. Kao dio programa sanacije izgrađen je visoki dimnjak koji je ispuštao dim iznad inverzijskog sloja i djelomično riješio problem onečišćenja. Nakon 1990. rudnici su se polako zatvarali. Godine 2015. elektrana je dekomisionirana. Više materijala o ovom poglavlju dostupno je na artandscience.rs/en/fasih.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, places with coal deposits have become important economic centres, which also applies to Trbovlje. The coal deposit largely contributed to the fact that the Vienna-Trieste railway ran through Trbovlje. The railway got a stable source of fuel to power the steam locomotives, and it enabled the mine to transport coal easily. Along with water, coal was the primary source of electricity production.
The first, very small, power stations were placed in the immediate vicinity of coal mines, and they powered mine elevators, ventilators, and pumps. The new power plant was opened in March 1915. The power plant was enlarged in several stages. Even before the Second World War, there were complaints from lower-lying cities along the Sava, primarily Zagreb, about the pollution of the river. Production peaked after World War II.
The high level of sulphur that leaked into the surroundings had severe consequences for the vegetation in the Sava valley and also in more distant places. As part of the remediation program, a high chimney was built, which discharged the smoke above the inversion layer and partially solved the pollution problem. After 1990. mines were slowly being closed. In 2015. the power plant was decommissioned.
More materials about this chapter available at artandscience.rs/en/fasih.